Izgubimo li grad živjet ćemo u resortu
Intervju sa Slavenom Toljem, članom inicijative "Srđ je naš"
We will live in resort if we loose the city
Interview with Slaven Tolj, member of an initiative „Srđ is Ours“
15.08.2012.
„Srđ je naš!“ je inicijativa građana Dubrovnika koji se protive projektu apartmanizacije Srđa.
“Srđ is ours!” is a an initiative by citizens of Dubrovnik who oppose the project of tourist resort on Srđ.
Pogled sa Srđa prema Dubrovniku (foto: Marija Kojaković)
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View from Srđ toward Dubrovnik (photo: Marija Kojaković)
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Aktivni ste član inicijative „Srđ je naš“. Što je točno Srđ?
Srđ je jedini prostor na koji se grad u budućnosti može širiti budući da se Dubrovnik nalazi između brda i mora i to brdo je jedina urbanistička budućnost grada, koji nažalost sve više postaje turistička destinacija. To nam se već dogodilo u samim zidinama gdje je ostalo 800 ljudi živjeti u odnosu na 6.000 prije dvadeset godina. Tu se nalazi znak jednakosti između problema grada i Srđa jer se grad počinje definirati u medijima i percepciji kao pusti prostor, isto kao i visoravan Srđa.
Što se točno planira na njemu?
Plato koji je jednak površini cijelog grada pokušava se pretvoriti u privatni posjed bez ikakvog javnog interesa. Minimalni javni sadržaji koji su naknadno uključeni u projekt samo su izgovor za ovjeru stvarne uzurpacije prostora.To je duga priča koja je počela Strategijom razvoja turizma temeljenom na izgradnji golf igrališta i Zakonom o golfu. Plan za Srđ narastao je s vremenom s nekih 100 ha na 310 ha, a vrijednost od nekih 80 milijuna eura 2003. godine na milijardu i 200 milijuna eura 2012. Površina je povećana dolaskom Vladinog povjerenika koji je sam, nezakonito, ovo povećanje i potpisao. Iz svega je vidljivo da je na djelu velika špekulacija pretvaranja šumskog i poljoprivrednog zemljišta u građevinsko. Pritom se takozvani investitori stalno izmjenjuju ili ulaze novi. Kredibilitet takvih špekulanata, kao ni izvore novca, nitko ne provjerava. Radi se o okupaciji prostora s atraktivnim pogledom na staru jezgru Dubrovnika, more i otoke u blizini Dubrovnika.
U kakvoj su fazi ti planovi danas?
Početkom kolovoza očekujemo javnu raspravu za Srđ. Očekivali smo ovakav tajming za javne rasprave, koje su namjerno tempirane u ljetnim mjesecima kad su građani okupirani osiguranjem egzistencije, budući da je turistička sezona jedina prilika da nešto zarade. Prva javna rasprava, prije godinu i pol, pokazala je da građani, kao i struka, odbacuju taj projekt, a sada se ponovno pokušava progurati isti plan, bez usvojenih primjedbi. U isto vrijeme na raspravu idu još i planovi za gradsku jezgru, spomenik Papi i sve moguće... Proveli smo istraživanje javnog mnijenja koje je pokazalo da 77% stanovnika podržava referendum o pitanju izgradnje vila, apartmana i golfa na Srđu. Građani su se u provedenoj anketi većinski, 63%, izjasnili protiv apartmanizacije tog područja. Usprkos tome, gradonačelnik to ignorira, a upravo na obećanju referenduma je dobio glasove na izborima.
Očito je da se putem zakonom propisane javne rasprave za urbanističke planove stvari ne mogu promijeniti. Koje ste taktike primjenjivali kao inicijativa?
Inicijativa djeluje već 4 godine, ali neke udruge bave se ovim pitanjem već 7-8 godina. Umreženi smo u Forum za prostor na nivou Hrvatske, zajedno s Pravom na grad, Zelenom akcijom, Zelenom Istrom, Ekološkom udrugom Krka, udrugom Filaktiv… Mislim da su rezultati naših aktivnosti vidljivi, da smo senzibilizirali građane i probudili svijest i savjest o ovim pitanjima. Dnevno sudjelujemo u diskusiji o problemima, razgovaramo s ljudima, organiziramo tribine. Pokrenuli smo i nezavisne novine jer jednostavno nismo imali prostor u medijima koji je potpuno kupila tvrtka „Razvoj golf“ koja vodi projekt za Srđ. Mi smo uspjeli alternativnim PR-om dobiti vidljivost i većina ljudi danas odbacuje namjere investitora povezanih s političkim strukturama. Samo 4% građana u potpunosti vjeruje propagandi „golfera“. Onaj dio stanovnika koji podržava projekt zna da se radi o koruptivnom projektu, ali ignorira tu činjenicu misleći na eventualnu korist za sebe, da će im pripasti komadić kolača.
Tebe su i fizički napali zbog aktivnosti u inicijativi?
Da, u klubu Revelin kada je TBF obukao majice kao podršku inicijativi. Nakon fizičkog nasrtaja na mene putem lokalnih medija pozivani su građani da se obračunaju s nama kao prijetnjom „napretku“. Na kraju sam ja dobio krivičnu prijavu, a vlasnik kluba je dobio priliku da u lokalnim medijima iznese niz laži o događaju optužujući inicijativu „Srđ je naš“. Policija je također stala u zaštitu vlasnika kluba. No, neke stvari su se pokrenule nakon toga, ljudi su vidjeli da je vrag odnio šalu i potpora inicijativi još je veća nego prije.
Kako su se arhitekti postavili u odnosu na inicijativu?
Oni su se, začudo, dosta rano, zahvaljujući prije svega predsjednici Društva arhitekata Dubrovnika Mariji Kojaković, ozbiljno i odgovorno postavili prema toj situaciji, međutim nismo nikad uspjeli zajedno istupiti budući da oni zadržavaju distancu prema inicijativi, bez obzira na to što se zalažemo za iste ciljeve.
U posljednje vrijeme ste aktivni i oko teme izgradnje hidroelektrane Ombla?
Izgleda da se sinkrono ide s apartmanskim gradom na Srđu i ovom hidroelektranom. Ombla je projekt koji se pokušava progurati po svaku cijenu, a koji je očito užasno riskantan i ekonomski upitan, a dovodi u pitanje i korištenje vode u budućnosti.
Kakve ste još akcije organizirali u gradu i na Srđu?
Pored izleta na Srđ, organizirali smo niz malih diverzija. Recimo, stavljanje zastava „Razvoj golf“na gradske zidine. Time smo htjeli pokazati tko je stvarni vlasnik grada budući da je gradonačelnik jednom prilikom izjavio da onaj čija je zastava na zidinama upravlja gradom. Svaka od naših udruga još posebno radi na ovim temama i izložbama i urbanističkom radionicom i tribinama i sl. kojima se problematiziraju teme javnog prostora.
Što pojam javnog prostora znači za vas koji živite u Dubrovniku?
Ljudi koji vode grad razmišljaju samo o zaradi i kako dovesti što veći broj turista, ali pritom gubimo grad i živimo u resortu. Osim malog broja koji profitira, svi ostali smo na gubitku i zadana nam je uloga jeftine radne snage. Pokušavamo spasiti svoje male prostore slobode unutar ovakvog sistema, ali zahtjevi dominantne ideologije postaju sve veći pa se tako i džepovi slobode polako gase. Mi u Art radionici Lazareti smo primjer te situacije, smetnja lokalnoj upravi koja bi ovaj prostor utržila za neki privatni interes. U Dubrovniku je svaki metar postao dragocjen, vodi se borba oko svakog pedlja. Ljudi moraju shvatiti što se događa i svatko se mora boriti na svoj način.
What is exactly Srđ, in relation to Dubrovnik?
The issues of city and Srđ are homologous since Srđ is the only available space for expanding the city in future. Dubrovnik is set between hill Srđ and the sea, and that hill is the only urban future for this city which is, unfortunately, becoming nothing more than a tourist destination. That has already happened in the historic center which now only has 800 residents as opposed to 6000 twenty years ago.
What are the plans for Srđ?
This plateau almost the same size as the city itself is being turned into a private property with no public interest whatsoever. Minimal public facilities were added afterward as a cover up for the actual usurpation of space. It is a long story that began with the Strategy for Tourist Development which was mainly based on building golf courses and the Golf Law. Master plan for Srđ has eventually grown from some 100ha to 310ha, with its value rising from 80 million to 1, 2 billion Euros. The prerequisite for such a growth, both in size and value, was a document signed by the government commissary without the approval of the county committee. That document became a legal foundation of the project, despite the fact that the signing alone was illegal, and together with changing of land-use, the value of land rose, and the ones who caused that to happen can go scot-free. In truth, this value is a value of a view on the historic core of Dubrovnik and the sea. This is the case of credit ratings, a visible but an intangible process.
In which phase are these plans today?
We are expecting a public discussion for Srđ at the beginning of August. We expected this timing for the public discussion - deliberately organized in the peak of the tourist season when most of the people are preoccupied with trying to make a living from tourism. The first public discussion, held a year and half ago, showed that citizens, as well as architects, reject this project. Now they are trying to get the approval for the same unmodified plan. At the same time, new plans for the historic center will be discussed, such as the monument to the Pope, etc. We conducted a survey showing that 77% of citizens support a referendum about the issue of building villas, condominiums and golf courses on Srđ. The majority of citizens, 63%, declared themselves against building a condominium estate there. Despite this, the mayor is ignoring this, although he won the elections by promising a referendum.
It is obvious that the legally regulated public discussion on urban plans cannot change things. What kind of tactics have you used as an initiative?
The Initiative itself has been active for over four years, but several associations have already been dealing with this problem for 7-8 years. We are connected on national level, through the Forum for Space, with the associations Right to the City, Green Action, Green Istria, Ecological Association Krka, Filaktiv, etc. I believe that the results of our actions are visible, that we sensitized the citizens and they are now aware of these issues. We participate daily in discussions on these topics, talk to people, organize public debates. We started publishing our own newspaper because we couldn’t get any media visibility since all of the local media were practically owned by the firm “Golf Development”, one that leads the Srđ project. Thanks to this alternative PR, we have managed to get visibility and now, most of the people reject the intentions of the investors and the establishment. Only 4% of citizens believe to the “golfers'”. This minority is aware that it is a corrupted project, but nevertheless chooses to ignore that fact, because they believe they will eventually benefit from it and get their fair share of the cake.
You even got physically attacked due to your activity in the Initiative?
Yes, in Revelin, club where TBF (Croatian hip hop band) wore t-shirts in support of the Initiative. After the assault, local media have launched a general attack on our Initiative by presenting us as a threat to “progress”. In the end, I got a criminal charge, while the owner got an interview in the local newspaper. However, things started changing after that, people saw how it got ugly and the support to the Initiative only grew.
How did architects position themselves towards the Initiative?
They have, thanks to the president of the Architectural Association of Dubrovnik, approached this problem seriously and responsibly. However, we were never able to speak out as one, because they have always maintained a certain distance towards the Initiative even though we share the same goal.
Lately, the Initiative has been engaged with the issue of erecting the hydroelectric power plant “Ombla”?
It seems that the plan for the condominium estate on Srđ goes along with the construction of that power plant. Ombla is a project that is being pushed forward no matter what, despite its hazardous nature and questionable feasibility, it is a project that puts water supply at great risk.
What are the other public actions that you have organized inside the city and on Srđ?
Besides the excursion to Srđ, we have organized a number of small diversions such as placing Golf’s Development flags on city walls. We wanted to demonstrate to whom this city belongs, since the mayor once said that those whose flags are on the city walls, rule the city. Each of our organizations works separately on these topics through different exhibitions, planning workshops, public discussions etc. All these accentuate the notion of public space.
What does the notion of public space represent to those who live in Dubrovnik?
People who govern this city only think about profit and the idea of bringing more and more tourists, but in that way we are losing the city and living in a resort. Except for a small number of those who profit, the rest of us serve only as cheap labor force. We are trying to save our little spaces of freedom inside such a system, but the demands of a dominant ideology are becoming unbearable and those little niches of freedom are slowly slipping away. We, the Art-workshop Lazareti, are a classic example, a disturbance for the municipality which wants to rent this place for some private interest. In Dubrovnik every square meter has become precious; a battle is waged for each centimeter. People have to understand what is going on so each of them can fight in their own way.